Our publications

Filtered view

Showing 13487 items

KRILLBASE: a circumpolar database of Antarctic krill and salp numerical densities, 1926–2016

1 March, 2017 by Geraint Tarling, Helen Peat, Laura Gerrish, Peter Fretwell, Peter Ward, Simeon Hill, Sophie Fielding

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps are major macroplankton contributors to Southern Ocean food webs and krill are also fished commercially. Managing this fishery sustainably, against a backdrop of rapid…

Read more on KRILLBASE: a circumpolar database of Antarctic krill and salp numerical densities, 1926–2016

Non-triggered auroral substorms and long-period (1–4 mHz) geomagnetic and auroral luminosity pulsations in the polar cap

1 March, 2017 by Dag Arne Lorentzen, Lisa Baddeley

A study is undertaken into parameters of the polar auroral and geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency range 1–4 mHz (Pc5∕Pi3) during quiet geomagnetic intervals preceding auroral substorms and non-substorm background variations.…

Read more on Non-triggered auroral substorms and long-period (1–4 mHz) geomagnetic and auroral luminosity pulsations in the polar cap

A decadal satellite record of gravity wave activity in the lower stratosphere to study polar stratospheric cloud formation

24 February, 2017 by Andrew Orr

Atmospheric gravity waves yield substantial small-scale temperature fluctuations that can trigger the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). This paper introduces a new satellite record of gravity wave activity in…

Read more on A decadal satellite record of gravity wave activity in the lower stratosphere to study polar stratospheric cloud formation

Drivers of interannual variability in virioplankton abundance at the coastal Western Antarctic Peninsula and the potential effects of climate change

22 February, 2017 by Andrew Clarke, Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith

An eight year time-series in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with an approximately weekly sampling frequency was used to elucidate changes in virioplankton abundance and their drivers in this climatically-sensitive…

Read more on Drivers of interannual variability in virioplankton abundance at the coastal Western Antarctic Peninsula and the potential effects of climate change

Feeding ecology, isotopic niche, and ingestion of fishery-related items of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans at Kerguelen and Crozet Islands

1 February, 2017

Feeding ecology and isotopic niche of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans were investigated in the poorly studied population on the Kerguelen Islands and compared to that on the Crozet Islands.…

Read more on Feeding ecology, isotopic niche, and ingestion of fishery-related items of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans at Kerguelen and Crozet Islands

A high-resolution model of the external and induced magnetic field at the Earth’s surface in the northern hemisphere

1 February, 2017 by Mervyn Freeman, Rob Shore

We describe a method of producing high-resolution models of the Earth's combined external and induced magnetic field using the method of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) applied to the SuperMAG archive…

Read more on A high-resolution model of the external and induced magnetic field at the Earth’s surface in the northern hemisphere

RAD sequencing resolves fine-scale population structure in a benthic invertebrate: implications for understanding phenotypic plasticity

1 February, 2017 by Melody Clark

The field of molecular ecology is transitioning from the use of small panels of classical genetic markers such as microsatellites to much larger panels of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated…

Read more on RAD sequencing resolves fine-scale population structure in a benthic invertebrate: implications for understanding phenotypic plasticity

High resolution spatial mapping of human footprint across Antarctica and its implications for the strategic conservation of avifauna

13 January, 2017 by Kevin Hughes

Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a…

Read more on High resolution spatial mapping of human footprint across Antarctica and its implications for the strategic conservation of avifauna

Biodiversity in marine invertebrate responses to acute warming revealed by a comparative multi-omics approach

1 January, 2017 by Lloyd Peck, Michael Thorne, Melody Clark, Simon Morley

Understanding species' responses to environmental change underpins our abilities to make predictions on future biodiversity under any range of scenarios. In spite of the huge biodiversity in most ecosystems, a…

Read more on Biodiversity in marine invertebrate responses to acute warming revealed by a comparative multi-omics approach

Geographic structure in the Southern Ocean circumpolar brittle star Ophionotus victoriae (Ophiuridae) revealed from mtDNA and single-nucleotide polymorphism data

1 January, 2017 by Chester Sands

Marine systems have traditionally been thought of as “open” with few barriers to gene flow. In particular, many marine organisms in the Southern Ocean purportedly possess circumpolar distributions that have…

Read more on Geographic structure in the Southern Ocean circumpolar brittle star Ophionotus victoriae (Ophiuridae) revealed from mtDNA and single-nucleotide polymorphism data

Environmental hazard assessment of contaminated soils in Antarctica: Using a structured tier 1 approach to inform decision-making

1 January, 2017 by Kevin Hughes

Generally, Antarctica is considered to be an untouched area of the planet; however, the region's ecosystems have been subject to increased human pressure for at least the past half-century. This…

Read more on Environmental hazard assessment of contaminated soils in Antarctica: Using a structured tier 1 approach to inform decision-making

Analysis of ontogenetic growth trends in two marine Antarctic bivalves Yoldia eightsi and Laternula elliptica: implications for sclerochronology

1 January, 2017 by Lloyd Peck

There is an increasing use of marine species as paleoclimate recorders for the marine realm. These archives provide novel baseline records of past oceanographic variability in regions devoid of instrumental…

Read more on Analysis of ontogenetic growth trends in two marine Antarctic bivalves Yoldia eightsi and Laternula elliptica: implications for sclerochronology

New geophysical compilations link crustal block motion to Jurassic extension and strike-slip faulting in the Weddell Sea Rift System of West Antarctica

1 January, 2017 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Philip Leat, Tom Jordan

Gondwana breakup changed the global continental configuration, leading to opening of major oceanic gateways, shifts in the climate system and significant impacts on the biosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere. Although of…

Read more on New geophysical compilations link crustal block motion to Jurassic extension and strike-slip faulting in the Weddell Sea Rift System of West Antarctica

A revised geochronology of Thurston Island, West Antarctica and correlations along the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana

1 January, 2017 by Philip Leat, Teal Riley

The continental margin of Gondwana preserves a record of long-lived magmatism from the Andean Cordillera to Australia. The crustal blocks of West Antarctica form part of this margin, with Palaeozoic–Mesozoic…

Read more on A revised geochronology of Thurston Island, West Antarctica and correlations along the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana

A sclerochronological archive for Antarctic coastal waters based on the marine bivalve Yoldia eightsi (Jay, 1839) from the South Orkney Islands

1 January, 2017 by Lloyd Peck

The scarcity of long instrumental series from the Southern Ocean limits our understanding of key climate and environmental feedbacks within the Antarctic system. We present an assessment for the Antarctic…

Read more on A sclerochronological archive for Antarctic coastal waters based on the marine bivalve Yoldia eightsi (Jay, 1839) from the South Orkney Islands

Quantifying the daily economic impact of extreme space weather due to failure in electricity transmission infrastructure

1 January, 2017 by Richard Horne

Extreme space weather due to coronal mass ejections has the potential to cause considerable disruption to the global economy by damaging the transformers required to operate electricity transmission infrastructure. However,…

Read more on Quantifying the daily economic impact of extreme space weather due to failure in electricity transmission infrastructure

Demonstration of “substantial research activity” to acquire consultative status under the Antarctic Treaty

15 December, 2016 by Andrew Gray, Kevin Hughes

Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties are entitled to participate in consensus-based governance of the continent through the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. To acquire consultative status, an interested Party must demonstrate…

Read more on Demonstration of “substantial research activity” to acquire consultative status under the Antarctic Treaty

Is current management of the Antarctic krill fishery in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean precautionary?

6 December, 2016 by Jonathan Watkins, Philip Trathan, Simeon Hill, Sophie Fielding

This paper explains the management of the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) fishery in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, and current knowledge about the state of the regional krill…

Read more on Is current management of the Antarctic krill fishery in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean precautionary?

Key impacts of climate engineering on biodiversity and ecosystems, with priorities for future research

1 December, 2016 by Eugene Murphy

Climate change has significant implications for biodiversity and ecosystems. With slow progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate engineering (or ‘geoengineering’) is receiving increasing attention for its potential to limit…

Read more on Key impacts of climate engineering on biodiversity and ecosystems, with priorities for future research

Lichen photobiont diversity and selectivity at the southern limit of the maritime Antarctic region (Coal Nunatak, Alexander Island)

1 December, 2016 by Peter Convey

Antarctic ice-free inland sites provide a unique perspective on the strategies coevolving organisms have developed for survival at the limits of life. Here, we provide the first combined description of…

Read more on Lichen photobiont diversity and selectivity at the southern limit of the maritime Antarctic region (Coal Nunatak, Alexander Island)

Diversity of limno-terrestrial tardigrades of the Americas in relation to the Great American Biotic Interchange hypothesis (GABI)

1 December, 2016 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes

Zoogeographical studies on Tardigrada are limited by the extent of our knowledge on tardigrade taxonomy and faunistics. In this paper we analyse the relationships between the tardigrade fauna of North,…

Read more on Diversity of limno-terrestrial tardigrades of the Americas in relation to the Great American Biotic Interchange hypothesis (GABI)

Genetic diversity and biogeography of the south polar water bear Acutuncus antarcticus (Eutardigrada : Hypsibiidae) – evidence that it is a truly pan-Antarctic species

1 December, 2016 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes

Antarctica is an ice-dominated continent and all its terrestrial and freshwater habitats are fragmented, which leads to genetic divergence and, eventually, speciation. Acutuncus antarcticus is the most common Antarctic tardigrade…

Read more on Genetic diversity and biogeography of the south polar water bear Acutuncus antarcticus (Eutardigrada : Hypsibiidae) – evidence that it is a truly pan-Antarctic species

Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change

1 December, 2016 by Eugene Murphy, Nadine Johnston, Rachel Cavanagh, Susie Grant

The determinants of the structure, functioning and resilience of pelagic ecosystems across most of the polar regions are not well known. Improved understanding is essential for assessing the value of…

Read more on Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change

Sea ice led to poleward-shifted winds at the Last Glacial Maximum: the influence of state dependency on CMIP5 and PMIP3 models

1 December, 2016 by Bianca Perren, Claire Allen, Dominic Hodgson, Louise Sime, Stephen Roberts, Thomas Bracegirdle

Latitudinal shifts in the Southern Ocean westerly wind jet could drive changes in the glacial to interglacial ocean CO2 inventory. However, whilst CMIP5 model results feature consistent future-warming jet shifts,…

Read more on Sea ice led to poleward-shifted winds at the Last Glacial Maximum: the influence of state dependency on CMIP5 and PMIP3 models